How to Help a Friend
by PurpleButterfliesRock
Summary: Only a couple months after her return to the BAU, Emily is showing signs of illness, but won't admit to it. Hotch takes a special notice, and the rest..well, the rest is to be written but may be history! . Rated T just for safety, and perhaps a few choice words.
1. Chapter 1

It has been a long time since I have written fanfiction, or any fiction at all. I have deleted all previous stories, and I may review, republish, and continue those at a time in the future. This is a short start to a new story, but hopefully something that will progress as I get my writing fingers together again! As always, Criminal Minds does not belong to me; I am only borrowing the characters a bit. Please review for this story and if you have any specifics you used to read that I took down and would like to see back, please let me know! Enjoy!

She tried to pay attention to the paperwork sitting on her desk. She had tried really hard. But damn if her eyes did not just want to close on their own, her body jerking awake every time her neck reached an odd angle. Finally she just folded her arms on the desk and let her head rest on them, falling into a fitful sleep.

"Emily? Emily, time to wake up." She heard her name and felt her shoulder being shaken. "Come on, Emily, wake up." She groaned, not wanting to open her eyes and feel the world spin again. But, the insistent shaking of her shoulder was worse than opening her eyes, and finally she blinked a few times, looking up to find her boss standing next to her desk. "Prentiss, if you're sick, maybe you should go on home for the day. There are no cases, nothing pressing."

Her mouth was dry but she managed to wet her lips a bit before telling him she was fine. She stood to emphasize her point but stumbled just enough that he reached out to stabilize her. "Really, Hotch, I'm fine. Just, uh, gonna go find a cup of coffee." He narrowed his eyebrows, analyzing every facial movement she made, looking for anything that contradicted her statement. It was there, subtle, but there. Her brow glistened with the slightest bead of sweat, her lips chapped, her eyes slightly unfocused. Emily moved to get up from her chair, placing both hands on the desk in front of her to steady herself a bit. Her boss watched her carefully, but avoided assisting her knowing Emily's tendency to want to appear strong in front of him.

Hotch watched Emily slowly walk away from her desk. He moved to Reid's desk to review a profile he was writing for a small case in Florida. Reid did not need his work reviewed; he knew what he was doing and Hotch trusted him. They all provided these notes to local law enforcement throughout the year; ideas, insights, preliminary profiles. Yet, by standing there rather than returning to his office, Hotch gained the advantage of watching Emily's walk more carefully. It had only been a couple of months since she returned from hiding, shocking the entire team except JJ and himself, and they had not yet fully accepted her back into the fold. He wondered if the others even noticed how ill she probably was.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reviews and positive remarks about Chapter 1. I know this is going a bit slowly, and it will focus more on Hotch and Emily in the future, but for now I am trying to form an overall picture. Hope you enjoy Chapter 2!

JJ watched from her office as Hotch stood over Reid's desk. He had just left Emily prior to her standing and leaving the bullpen. She didn't know where Emily had gone, but she kept her eye out, worried about her friend. The others had not welcomed her back immediately, and she had been escaping to the restroom frequently since receiving the all clear to return to the team. Probably JJ should call Emily out on her escapes, but she didn't want to yet. There was a fine balance between giving her enough time and watching her avoid her friends. It was determining when she crossed that line that JJ had to concern herself with. At the moment, though, she was okay with Emily slipping away for a little breather once in a while. So long as it did not become more frequent. JJ looked back at her stack of files, knowing whatever choice she made about providing help or the entire team could mean life or death for any number of people.

Reid looked up from his paperwork to his boss standing above him. "Hotch?" His boss closed his eyes briefly and suddenly looked back at the youngest member of the team. He didn't say anything, just continued to hold the paper he had taken moments ago, not reading any of the text. "Sir?" Reid tried again.

"Sorry, Reid. I'm fine. This, this looks good. You can send it out." Hotch put the paper down on the desk.

"Um, Hotch, that's a memo about parking."

"What? Oh, I meant your notes on this case you are working on. Those look good too." Hotch left the desk and walked back to his office, his mind obviously preoccupied. Reid furrowed his brow for a moment, but did not pursue his boss. He glanced around the bullpen, watching Rossi work on paperwork. They were the only two on the team still at their desks. Emily had removed herself once again a few minutes ago. Morgan had gone to Garcia's office for some information; at least what he called information. Reid didn't know why he needed any information as Morgan was not currently working on any specific case. He glanced up toward JJ's office; the door was open and Reid could see her flipping through files.

Rossi had paid more attention than he made obvious. He had noted the conversation between Prentiss and Hotch, noting his concern, her illness and reluctance to go home. He had seen Hotch walk to Reid's desk and pick up a memo, mistake it for a case, and walk away. He had even seen JJ walk to the window in her office that overlooked the bullpen, cross her arms and rub them as if she was cold, and cross back to her desk, pulling another file off her pile. The atmosphere was tense. It had been for a couple of months now, ever since they had discovered Emily was still alive. It wasn't that they weren't happy to see their friend. They most definitely were. It was just that each of them had been in different stages of grieving her death, and then the shock of seeing her again when she had walked into that room, it had thrown them all for a loop. All of them except Hotch and JJ apparently. It was this added sense of betrayal that caused additional tension. Dinner at his house a few weeks ago had helped some, but there was still not the same sense of comrade, the same trust. And, if there was anything they needed in their line of work it was trust.

Emily stood in the restroom, looking into the mirror, trying to perform an honest assessment. She looked slightly pale, she guessed, but that was nothing new. She hadn't been sleeping lately. If she was honest with herself, it had been a year since she had slept without waking, every since Doyle had returned to her life. And, no, she did not feel 100%. But, that too, was not unusual. She splashed some cool water on her face, an attempt to wake herself up and look better. Hotch was going to be on her the minute she walked back to her desk if she did not appear to be okay. And coffee. She had to remember to grab a cup of coffee.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry it has been a few days, but hopefully the wait was worth it! Writing just does not seem to come as easy as it once did! Thank you for the reviews and enjoy!

Emily returned to her desk feeling somewhat better. She set the cup of coffee next to her computer and settled herself back into her chair. After a quick look around, she grabbed a bottle of Advil out of her drawer and quickly downed a couple. Her computer screen glared in front of her and files were stacked in her inbox. Not much to do on them really, just fill in the blanks and sign her name. Yet, somehow, that seemed like a lot of work at the moment. Emily couldn't leave her desk again yet; it would appear off to the rest in the bullpen, even if they hadn't noticed she wasn't feeling 100%. She could not close her eyes again because if she happened to fall asleep Hotch would be all over her about going home. And, Emily Prentiss did not go home from a little cold.

Instead of allowing her body to control her actions, Emily chose to put her mind in the decision-making role. She would finish her paperwork, even if it took her longer than usual. Slowly, she pulled a file out of her inbox, flipped open to the last two pages, and began to fill in the necessary details. Victims names, suspect name, dates, her own information and a signature at the bottom. Emily looked to the clock on the wall. What normally took her just fifteen minutes had taken an hour. It had not seemed like that long. She mentally calculated; just 2 more hours until 5, the time she was technically off. However, that did not mean she would go home then. No, she would wait until 6, the earliest she ever left, the earliest any of them ever left unless something had come up. That was three hours then, three more cases that could get finished if she was as slow with them as she was with the last one. Yet her inbox showed at least 10 case files, all of which needed to be completed in a timely manner in order for prosecution. She would take the rest home.

Hotch kept his ever watchful eye on his agent as he worked at his desk. The door was open so he could hear if anything occurred. From his position, he could barely see the group of desks on the floor below him, so he gathered his files and took them to his couch. He rarely did work on the couch; it was more there for his agents and others coming into his office. Yet, this time it was more important for him to be able to see Emily and make sure she stayed, as she had said, okay.

The clock slowly clicked over to 5. Emily had been staring in the general direction of the clock for the last 15 minutes, blocking out everything else, yet not really seeing the clock. A hand rested on her shoulder. "Prentiss, it's 5. Go home." She looked up into the eyes of Rossi, the older agent suddenly taking on the look of a father watching over his child. She didn't answer right away, just pulled shook her head slightly and pulled a new file from her stack. "Emily, I mean it. It's 5. Quitting time. You know what that means right?"

"Yeah, it means nothing. It means what it always means. I still have files to finish."

"On a typical day I would I agree with you. But, Prentiss, you are sick. Go home."

"I'm fine, Rossi."

"Okay then. Well, I am taking off. If you are so fine, would you care to join me for dinner?" He knew it wouldn't happen and that her denial would only prove his point. She was desperate to make contact with her family again. If she felt fine, she would go. If she was as sick as she looked, she would falter and he would make her go home. As it was, she wasn't answering.

Emily took a deep breath, trying to find a way out of dinner so she could go home and collapse that wouldn't make it look like she was giving in and admitting she was sick. She had already said she had no plans for the evening, so no late night dinner date was going to save her. She could see no way around it. She was going to dinner with David Rossi and she could sleep as soon as she got home. "Um, sure. I'll just get my things." Emily stood up and watched the room spin slightly. Another deep breath to steady herself and she started to grab her jacket off the back of her chair. It was in that moment of reaching that the spinning became more dramatic and suddenly all went black.

"Hotch!" Hotch looked up from his work to the call of Rossi. Emily was in his arms; the older agent looking like he had caught her. Hotch dropped the files and ran out his door and down the stairs, nearly colliding with JJ who had come out of her office at the sudden call. The entire team was surrounding Emily when Hotch asked, "What happened?"


	4. Chapter 4

Hello! As a minor plug, I assume many of you are also writers, and not just of fanfiction. Recently, as a way to make money (unemployed and student loans are due!), I have started both editing and creating short books. I have a lot of details and the prices for these, but I don't want to use fanfiction as a way to advertise all of this information. Please visit me at Facebook: /pages/The-Writing-Adventure/332647126823988?ref=hl or e-mail at thewritingadventure gmail if you are at all interested in what I am doing. *Sorry, I can't put these in correctly, but hopefully you get the picture! Thanks, and enjoy this chapter!

Emily fluttered her eyes a bit, letting them get adjusted to the change in light. When she finally opened them permanently and began to take in her surroundings she saw Hotch and the rest of the team standing near her. She was on something soft; what was it? Where was she? She felt her heart rate climb as she started to sit up. She was stopped by a hand.

"Just lay still, Prentiss. You're okay." Hotch gently forced her back into a horizontal position. She shifted her gaze toward the rest of the team. They were all there. JJ was just getting off the phone; she whispered something to Rossi who just nodded. Garcia looked a bit pale and very worried, but Morgan had his arm around her. Reid just stood in the back, observing what was happening.

She recognized the room finally. It was Hotch's office; she was on the not so comfortable couch. God, couldn't the FBI afford something that didn't push springs into your back at every angle? "Um, what happened?"

"You fainted, Prentiss," Rossi said.

"No. No, I never…" she sat straight up, ignoring the spinning in her head.

"Well, Princess, it looks like you did this time," Morgan said. "Would you like the video proof?"

"Nnnooo," she stuttered. "No, that's fine. I, uh, I need to get back to work."

"Oh, no you don't," Hotch said.

"Hotch, the ambulance will be here in less than five," JJ said. That must have been who she was on the phone with a moment ago.

"What? No, no ambulance. Jeez, you guys. I'm fine!" Emily started to stand, but found herself held back down by Hotch.

"Yes, you'll get checked out. Standard procedure, Prentiss."

"But, Hotch, honestly, I am fine."

"And 'fine' people just pass out at work on a normal basis right?" Morgan quipped.

"Well, no, but really, I feel fine."

"Statistically, people pass out for many reasons…" Reid started in.

He was quickly cut off by Garcia, "Not now, boy wonder." Reid swallowed but stayed quiet.

"Prentiss, at least let them look you over. Reid is right; people don't just pass out for no reason. And then, if they don't take you out of here, I will!"

"Hotch…"

"No. No arguments."

Emily gave up. She knew when she could no longer fight. These people may not want to be around her, but when something happened, they still cared. At least, they acted as if they did. She waited, not patiently.

It wasn't long until two paramedics showed up. The team cleared out, with only JJ and Hotch staying in the room. "Want to tell me what happened?" the younger man asked, with a southern accent.

When Emily didn't answer right away, Hotch stepped in, "She has been ill, feverish and tired. About 15 minutes ago she stood up and passed out."

"I'm not sick!"

Hotch didn't argue with her, but the paramedics didn't believe her either. "Well, how about we check that out?" the older one asked. He slipped a blood pressure cuff on her arm and began to pump it up, while the other stuck a thermometer in her ear and checked her pupils with a very bright light.

"Slight fever, pupils equal and reactive," the younger one said.

"Slightly elevated blood pressure," the older one added. They continued their check, but eventually the older paramedic sat back. "You are ill, Agent. I would prefer to take you in to get some blood work and checked by a doctor."

"I would rather not."

"Well, it is not a necessity, so long as you have someone to take you home and watch over you for a while."

"Uh…" Emily started to stumble, trying to come up with a reasonable lie.

"I'll make sure of that," Hotch said.

"Okay then. Sign some papers, and we're out of here." The older paramedic provided two papers for Emily to sign, which she did quickly. "Take care of yourself, ma'am." The gathered their bags and left the room. No one else entered, leaving just the three of them.

"JJ, would you mind gathering Prentiss' things from downstairs? I am going to take her down to my car and take her home."

"Sure, Hotch." JJ left the room quietly, filling in the others on her way down the stairs.

"Okay, Em, let's get you up and take you home."

"Hotch, really, I can take myself home. I thank you for offering, but I would prefer to just go home. Alone."

"Well, I do believe you just signed paperwork acknowledging someone else would be with you, so I don't think you have much of a choice, do you?"

"Hotch…."

"Nope. No arguments. Now, let's go." He reached down to help her stand, let her head settle a moment, and followed her out of the office, not helping, but keeping a watchful eye on her.


	5. Chapter 5

Ah, a chapter! Sorry about the delay but I have been super stressed with not having any work and trying to decide whether a doctorate program in England is worth the money or not. Anyways, enough excuses! Enjoy!

Hotch stopped on their way to Emily's apartment to gather some medicine, juice, and soup. If he remembered correctly, she wouldn't have much in her refrigerator. She was asleep when he pulled into her parking lot. "Emily? Time to wake up." Slowly, his agent opened her eyes and took in where she was.

"Thanks, Hotch. I appreciate the ride home." Emily opened the door and got out of the car, hoping he would just go home now. She wanted her own bed and silence. No one there but her and Sergio. It was easier that way. And yet, Hotch got out as well, taking his ready bag with him. "Hotch, what about Jack? I'm fine. Go home and be with your son."

"He's with his aunt. Don't worry about it. I called him and he said to make sure his Aunt Emmy feels better soon. Which is exactly what I intend to do." He shut the door behind him and walked around to the opposite side of the card. "So, let's get you into bed."

Emily started to open her mouth but shut it again. She wasn't going to win the argument and besides, she was too tired to even try. And if the quickest way to her bed was to allow him into her apartment, fine. She would deal with him in the morning.

Emily shut the door behind them when the entered the apartment. She went straight up her stairs to her bedroom and adjoining bathroom, leaving Hotch putting the grocery bag in the kitchen. Quickly, she ditched her work clothes for the longed for sweatpants and tank-top. She had just finished putting her hair up in a band when there was a knock on the door.

"Emily, I have some medicine here for you," Hotch said from the bedroom. Emily came out of the bathroom and looked at her boss. She didn't say a word, just waited. "What is it, Prentiss?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why?"

"Why are you here? Okay, I'll admit that I'm not feeling great, but a good night's sleep and I will be fine in the morning. You didn't have to come over here, you don't have to stay the night, and you didn't have to buy me medicine. But you did and you are. Why?"

"Emily, I guess I'm not following you. Earlier, at the office, you passed out. You didn't want to go home and you pushed yourself beyond what your body could handle. You heard the paramedics, you should have gone to the hospital."

"No, that isn't exactly what they said, Hotch. And, you didn't answer my question."

"Okay, well, make me a deal. Take these pills, drink some juice, and let's get you tucked into bed. Then I will tell you."

She didn't move, but she didn't speak either. Instead, her profiling training kicked in and she began assessing the man standing in front of her. With his tie loosened, his jacket gone, a glass of orange juice in one hand and a section of pills in his other, he looked very much unHotchlike. Finally, she let out the breath she had been holding in and walked slowly toward her bed. He had pulled back the covers and pulled her pillow up so it sat against the headboard. She crawled underneath the covers and suddenly realized she needed to be a polite host. Quickly, she tossed back the covers and began to get out of bed. A wave of dizziness caused her to close her eyes.

"Emily, what is it? What do you need? Just lay back against the pillow."

"Hotch, you haven't eaten. I think I have some macaroni and cheese in the cupboard. It's not much, I know. If you want something else, I can order out. There's chinese, pizza, or even…"

"Prentiss, stop it! I'm fine! I got dinner at the store. I even got you some soup I was going to go heat up in a minute."

"You…you're sure you're okay?" She asked, leaning her head back against the pillow. She didn't really want to get up.

"Yes, Prentiss, I'm fine. Now let's get you fine. Here, just some Tylenol for the fever," Hotch said, placing the pills in her hand and handing her the glass of juice.

She placed the pills in her mouth and swallowed. "Okay, I kept my end. Now, you keep yours."

Hotch sat at the edge of her bed and looked at the tired eyes, glazed with fever. He couldn't tell her the real reason he was here. That she meant the world to him, and after having 'lost' her once, he wouldn't let her be sick alone. He was going to make sure she was healthy, and hopefully, happy. But, no, he couldn't say that. "Emily, I'm here because while I am your boss, I am also your friend. You were certainly not okay earlier, and I want to make sure you get the fluids you need, and keep the fever under control." When he looked up, he saw closed eyes and heard slightly uneven breathing. She had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of his debate with what to tell her and his subsequent speech. He pulled the covers up, lightly brushed his lips against her forehead, and went downstairs to start the soup.


End file.
